The Delta independent., 1887-04-05
Commonplace Paon,a

u6ES.
What sort of person is shep" 1
asked.
"Oh! commonplace. entirely 81" WAS
the answer. ''She would not interest
you In the least You know in these
days, people must be able to do some
teing besides the humdrum things that
used to occupy women. if they want to
attract any attention"
Is that truep Isilently asked myself.
Have the old-fashioned virtues of our
mothers and grandmothers so faded out
from the background of the. life of to-
day, as to have lost all of their beauty,
SO that one possesses them alone is re-
garded only as utterly commonplace
and without attractionsP There was NO
mistaking the tone in which my inquiry
had been answered. and had the SUBJ
ject of remark CHANGED to overhear it
her sensibilities would have been blunt
indeed. had they not received hurt
which it would have been difficult to
heal.
Ihad heard before of this common
place" woman and was curious to sec
her. The Family had recently removed
to the place. aud into good neighbor-
hood, but she had not responded to the
Efforts of those around her :sto have her
enter their social and literrry life, rs
they had felt she ought to do. nor had
she given any reason for the failure.
Her whole time seemed to be absorbed
by her home duties, to the exclusion of
every other interest.
Later on. my curiosity was granted.
1 saw small, plainly dressed woman
with nothing TO mark her from the mul-
titude. In that sense she was '.commop-
place" Nobody would have singled
her out with any expectation of finding
unusual intelligence or wit, nor would
they have expected anything out of the
common order in any way. She was
exceedingly reticent and quiet in her
manner. volunteering few remarks. and
those never including anything belong
ing to her own personality. soon
found that. the key to some OF her TN
popularity lay in the fact that she never
entered into discussion of her family
matters in the slightest particular.
The time came when learned some
thing of the inner life of this "common.
place" woman. She had an invalid
! mother. almost helpless, and sister
who was half-crazed by sudden shock
and great grief. and these two. in addi-
ton to the care OF her family. She
watched and tended day and night, with
tenderness that was never abated.
Few knew, or ever learned, what the
physical and mental tax upon her was,
for she never complained, and sort of
sweet loyalty to her unfortunate sister
made her shield her from the public as
much as possible. Had wealth been
hers, life even under these Affections
might have been made much easier, but
her husband did only moderate busi-
ness. which demanded economy in or.
der to educate their children and make
both ends meet.
OF course. l did not learn all these
facts at once; but when l did, and
watched her rs she went on her self
sacrificing way. saw how she crushed
down her longings for much which en-
tered into the lives of other wor.cr,
smothered her desire for beautifu ul
things until she had almost forgotten
to wish for them, wondered whether
they who see not with mortal eyes
looked upon her as Commonplace"
Many women. who would be counted
as commonplace" live lives that are
more heroic in their courage and self
abnegation in their devotion to duty
while keeping fast hold of the door
that shuts in their youthful hopes and
aspirations all unfulflled. and all clam
oring for satisfaction, holding them
back with unrelenting hand, though
seeing the years slipping away forever
into the past-than many Of those re-
nowned in song and story. 1t often
takes more courage to live true to the
homely duties of everyday existence,
than to do some daring deed that will
thrill the world with its telling. The
tale of Grace Darling. heroism will set
our pulses to throbb;ng and send the
blood surging through the veins. while.
within a stones throw it may be, is one
who faces. without finching, daily
trials, beside which the surgng waters
would be heaven, and we do not dream
that their experiences are other than
commonplace. 1t is well. perhaps, that
we can not see into the deeps of their
sorrows. unless the power to aid were
placed in our hands.
Women there are, and men too, who
are essentially commonplace. To them
life means nothing more than 10 eat
drink and sleep. Selfish in their pur-
poses. and no thoughts, no hopes, nc
aspirations that would lift them an
inch above the common level, they &c
along from day to day and are interest
ing only to those Of the same ilk. They
do not grow mentally and morally. moi
because they are denied the opportun.
ity to do SO. but that they have neither
the desire nor capacity to put forth the
requisite effort. They do no positive
evil. 1t is rather of the negative sort
which comes from the lack OF any in
flucnce for good. You and know such